Brioche Soft Pretzels

Directions

1. Start by adding the warm milk, active dry yeast & sugar to a bowl. Whisk them together & let the yeast mixture blooms (bubbles) in 10 minutes.

   Add 5 cups of flour & salt to the stand mixer bowl, be sure to whisk together. Attach a dough hook to mixer, add yeast mixture, room temperature butter & ½ cup of water to the mixer. Start speed on low. Slowly turn to medium, mixing for roughly 8 minutes until smooth dough texture. Be sure to add some water If dough is not coming together correctly.

   Add dough to another well-oiled bowl and cover with a warm damp towel. Allow dough to rest in a warm place like the oven with the oven light or on top of the refrigerator for 1 hour, until it has doubled in size.

   Add water ¾ full in a large pot. Warm the water on medium heat & bring to a slow boil. As water begins to warm, add baking soda (very slowly, the water will begin to fizz).

2. Preheat oven to 425 (degrees Fahrenheit). Gently roll dough into a lightly flour dusted work surface & cut dough into 6 pieces. For each piece, roll into a ball. Each ball will then be rolled out into ropes, about 18 inches. Form the rope into a U-shape, twisting one end of the rope around the other. Pull the loop of dough on top of the twisted end & allow the pretzel to rest on a lined baking sheet. Repeat process for each piece.

   Add 1-2 pretzels to the boiling water for 15 seconds on each side. Remove puffed dough & allow to rest back on the baking sheet.

   whisk eggs & brush over top of each pretzel, coating the pretzels completely. Sprinkle AMAZING GRACE on top. Bake pretzels on the baking sheet for 15 minutes, until golden brown. Enjoy.